Reverb 14 – Day 15 (& Day 14)

Today is the fifteenth day of Reverb 14 – an annual reflective writing community that comes together to review the year that was and prepare for the year that will be. As with last year and the year before, I’ll be participating in both Kat McNally’s Reverb 14 (& I have a guest post!) and the offering from Project Reverb. Please join with us and spend the next several weeks thinking through 2014!

What are you really proud that you made happen in 2014, despite the gremlins? And what will you do anyway in 2015?

I think the thing that I’m most proud of for this year is the chances I’ve taken with my photography. I’m not at all confident with my skills and abilities, but I’ve put myself out there. I made my way out to several photography club group shoots, and I went to the photography meet-up in New Orleans. I’ve been sharing more of it here because I finally willing to get it out there – good or bad, letting the chips fall where they may.

As for 2015 and what I’m going to do anyway – I’m going home. I have no idea if I’m going to have a job or not, but I do know that Sweet Husband and I can’t do another year apart. While we have friends and family in Hattiesburg, I really believe that our place is on the Coast. I’ll begin applying for jobs in March, but even if nothing turns up at the end of the academic year – I will be submitting a letter of resignation. I’m hopeful that the Universe will have something in place by then, but if she doesn’t, I’m going to leap anyway, hoping that the net will be there…because always, eventually, there is a net.

Soul food: What food did you discover this year? Or maybe you discovered a new way to prepare your favorite food. Or a new cookbook. Or a new restaurant. Tell us about your culinary adventures.

For a moment it was difficult for me to think of what we discovered or really enjoyed this year. And then it hit me.

Roasted Cauliflower.

My Sweet Husband, bless his heart, is not a fan at all of vegetables. However, we were at a football party where they served roasted cauliflower. He fell in love. And I love that he fell in love with cauliflower because cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. I love that I can roast cauliflower for him and it will be a healthy preparation. I’m not covering the cauliflower in cheese sauce or it’s not on top of a ranch/cream cheese-spread crescent roll. It’s a beautiful thing. When I make it at home, we could easily eat two heads, although I haven’t made two heads at a time yet. When I cook one, before it gets onto our plates, half of it is gone.

So far I’ve been chopping it up, but for Christmas, I want to roast a whole head….and even though I’m linking you to recipes, the way we do it is super simple:

Heat oven to 450

Slice cauliflower into florets

Using your Misto – spray your baking sheet

Place the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet

Spray with olive oil

Sprinkle with Tony Chacere’s & stir

Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice

It’s good, good stuff.

I also introduced Sweet Husband and the family to tri-tip. I used to have it all the time when I lived out west, but with Cost-co coming to New Orleans, I was able to get tri-tip again. It’s all good stuff. There’s a pre-made Napa Garlic Balsamic marinade that works really well, but if that’s not available, I enjoy a basic vinegar/oil/worcestshire sauce with salt and garlic. Marinate it and then put it on the grill. If you’ve not had it, you need. it.

Reverb Day 14

I apparently took a holiday from blogging (and really writing period) last week, so I’m catching up on my #Reverb14 posts this week. Each day I’ll be tackling 2 prompts so that hopefully by the end of Kat McNally’s offering, I’ll be all up to date.

The idea of rooting down into your own personal beliefs and center of truth is an ongoing process, and many things can serve as anchors or roots as you move through life.What rooted or anchored you in 2014?And where do you want to put down roots in 2015?

This one is fairly simple for me. What rooted and anchored me? Sweet Husband. My writing practice. Photography. Remembering what my ultimate goals are. Those are the things that kept me grounded – helped me think through how to maintain myself and deal with whatever it is that has been going on in my life.

As for where I want to put down roots in 2015, it’s at home. With my Sweet Husband and our desserts. I’m ready to be home; they are ready for me to be home. I want the house we live in to be our home – to customize it and make it truly ours. There are so many things – I just need to be there to make them happen.

I think that if I had to choose one word for 2014 it would be – FRUSTRATION.

There were so many things that I wanted to have happen – so many things that I was counting on happening – that fell through or didn’t happen the way that I wanted them to. Even as things have started to happen, they have been incredibly frustrating. The things that I signed up to do – thinking they would be helpful for me or give me some insight into a way to begin or proceed – things I paid good money for (& in some cases am still paying for) – haven’t delivered in the way that I hoped that they would.

I don’t know if it’s a case of expecting too much (how can that possibly be?) or what, but it’s been a hard year. I’m fervently wishing that 2015 is much easier and more pleasant.

Thank you Meredith! I know he’s ready for me to be home on a full-time basis, and I am too. We were very long distance for most of our dating relationship, and we both really thought we were done with all of that after we got married. I do have to say he has been very good about making the effort to make the relationship work – he’s much better than I am. I am so very lucky to have him – which makes it even more difficult to be away from home 😉

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I'm a teacher, writer, and photographer capturing the magical moments of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast - putting my experience as a teacher and educational staff developer to work crafting stories that chronicle an experience well-lived.

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